13 Cryptocurrency Careers (With Salary Info and Duties)

Updated July 13, 2023

A cryptocurrency is a digital currency that investors and businesses can buy and trade on decentralized financial platforms known as cryptocurrency exchanges. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin allow people outside of the traditional finance industry to pursue new investment opportunities, and since these currencies are entirely digital, more people and companies can use them for transactions. There are many unique careers in cryptocurrency development, support and trading that may be worth learning about if you're interested in a more nontraditional financial career path.

In this article, we explain what cryptocurrency careers are, provide a list of 13 roles to consider and review tips for finding a job in this industry.

What are cryptocurrency careers?

Cryptocurrency careers are jobs that involve working with a cryptocurrency, and they're often available in the computer science and programming fields. Tracking, trading, constructing and monitoring cryptocurrencies and the corresponding blockchains or digitalized financial ledgers that host them require a variety of technical skills. These skills might include programming, cryptography, financial analysis and software engineering.

The field also has many opportunities for individuals who don't possess highly technical skills and want to work in a support role. Companies and organizations that use or create cryptocurrency may employ people with marketing, managing, writing and business development skills. The field also has a number of positions for customer service representatives or agents.

13 cryptocurrency careers to consider

Here are 13 careers to consider if you want to work in the cryptocurrency industry, along with information on their national average salaries and primary duties.

For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, visit indeed.com/salaries.

1. Business development representative

National average salary: $60,108 per year

Primary duties: A business development representative (BDR) is a sales specialist who acquires new business contacts and develops relationships with customers on behalf of an organization. Their duties include locating potential clients and developing long-term relationships with them, using marketing campaign analytics and leads to identify sales opportunities, identifying client requirements and suggesting products or services for them. Organizations working with cryptocurrencies employ BDRs to increase their client base and encourage interest in new crypto products.

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2. Technical writer

National average salary: $62,042 per year

Primary duties: Technical writers create content about complex topics and condense highly technical information into a format that people who aren't experts can understand. They create content guides about technology, including cryptocurrency concepts, and write brochures, manuals and journal articles. They may conduct research about different cryptocurrencies and crypto tools and work with technical experts to ensure their writing is accurate and comprehensive.

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3. Marketing manager

National average salary: $73,484 per year

Primary duties: A marketing manager establishes promotional policies for an organization and oversees its marketing campaigns. They may collaborate with advertising and promotional managers to plan events, analyze marketing data, establish new campaign strategies, create estimates for campaign costs and evaluate the success of marketing campaigns. When working with cryptocurrency, marketing managers may also collaborate with technical and financial teams to develop strategies for advertising the currency.

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4. Financial analyst

National average salary: $74,631 per year

Primary duties: A financial analyst makes predictions about the performance of an investment by collecting and analyzing data about the current industry and the wider financial environment. They make recommendations about investments, compile and analyze financial reports, meet with management and executives to assess an organization's prospects, evaluate financial data to identify trends and present financial reports. Financial analysts who work with cryptocurrency also monitor market trends and currency values and incorporate that data into their analyses.

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5. Web developer

National average salary: $82,404 per year

Primary duties: A web developer writes code for both the user-facing front end and the information-supplying back end of a website. They construct new websites while also maintaining and updating existing ones. In the cryptocurrency sector, they may work for crypto companies and update their websites to collect and analyze user feedback while also improving the physical appearance of the site and overall site security.

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6. Project manager

National average salary: $86,015 per year

Primary duties: A project manager is responsible for the daily management of a project and the individuals working on it. They create project schedules and timelines, delegate tasks, plan the project budget, manage its resources and handle constraints. In the crypto sector, they manage the creation of new cryptocurrency tokens and coins and assist with the design of new exchanges. They also report the progress of the project to company executives and investors and ensure client satisfaction.

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7. Cryptocurrency trader

National average salary: $95,077 per year

Primary duties: A cryptocurrency trader is a finance specialist who uses cryptocurrencies to enhance investments. They research crypto market trends, use data analysis and trading metrics to identify market inefficiencies and opportunities, determine how to improve risk management techniques and develop, maintain and improve crypto trading models and systems. Traders often work with other industry specialists to identify trading opportunities and assess market data.

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8. Blockchain developer

National average salary: $104,686 per year

Primary duties: A blockchain developer designs, builds and maintains blockchains, which are databases used in cryptocurrency to secure digital transactions. Blockchain developers may design this architecture, or they may build additional applications for existing blockchains. Their duties might include writing and testing code, troubleshooting issues and collaborating with software engineers. They also stay updated on changing blockchain technologies to make updates and optimize applications.

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9. Information technology (IT) security specialist

National average salary: $107,688 per year

Primary duties: An IT security specialist detects potential security breaches and works to prevent information security incidents from affecting systems. Security can be especially important for the crypto industry, and security specialists working in this field manage the security of cryptocurrency exchanges to prevent hackers from infiltrating them. They protect user data and information by tracking threats and fraudulent transactions.

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10. Product manager

National average salary: $111,989 per year

Primary duties: A product manager oversees the entire product development process and supervises sales or product teams to ensure they accomplish all their tasks efficiently. In the cryptocurrency industry, their duties might involve creating, reviewing and updating product roadmaps to assist with the creation of new crypto products and coins, prioritizing and assigning tasks for the development team and brainstorming ideas with executives and other relevant parties. They might also write feature descriptions for the design and technical teams and lead the product prototype development process.

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11. Software engineer

National average salary: $114,680 per year

Primary duties: A software engineer designs and develops mobile and web applications and software systems for businesses. In the cryptocurrency industry, they may use programming languages like C++ and Python to work on blockchains, substacks and analytical programs. Their other duties may include testing systems and adapting them to new specifications, documenting system issues for future maintenance, performing regular updates, recommending upgrades and collaborating with other engineers and developers.

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12. Data scientist

National average salary: $123,927 per year

Primary duties: Data scientists examine and translate data into comprehensive information and write computer algorithms and code to better understand data sets. They evaluate how to best model data, identify solutions to complex problems using raw data and machine learning, collaborate with data engineers and communicate analytical results to an organization's executives. In the cryptocurrency sector, they may use blockchain technology to assess the performance of a cryptocurrency, identify future price movements and compile relevant data.

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13. Machine learning engineer

National average salary: $155,591 per year

Primary duties: A machine learning (ML) engineer creates artificial intelligence systems to optimize and automate processes. They use statistics, programming, data science and software engineering to design predictive models and programs that allow machines to identify patterns and perform tasks automatically. The automated predictive models, machine learning systems and other tools they design often assist with large-scale crypto projects and mining activities.

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Note that figures from Glassdoor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) help supplement data from Indeed.

Tips for beginning a career in the cryptocurrency industry

If you're interested in a cryptocurrency-related career, consider following these tips:

Learn more about cryptography

Cryptography, or the study of the secure passage of information, is the basis of cryptocurrency. The finance industry uses cryptography principles for processing payments, storing and transmitting data and managing data integrity. When starting a career in cryptocurrency, a basic cryptography background can help you create more secure and efficient systems if you choose to work in a technical role.

Develop coding skills

Many jobs in cryptocurrency involve coding, such as blockchain developer, software engineer and data scientist. You can develop coding skills to become proficient in multiple programming languages. Some helpful languages to learn for cryptocurrency jobs include Java, Python and C++. Web development and user experience (UX) design can also be beneficial for creating applications and interfaces.

Familiarize yourself with different cryptocurrencies

There are many types of virtual currencies within the cryptocurrency market, and each has different characteristics. Some of these currencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether and USD Coin. Familiarizing yourself with these currencies, along with their values, structures, histories and major proponents, can be beneficial if you want to work with them on a professional level. Search for online resources and courses for people who want to increase their knowledge of cryptocurrency.

Evaluate your skills

Many job opportunities in the crypto field are highly technical, and there are numerous roles in computer engineering, programming, software development and electrical engineering. If you have skills in these areas, you may excel in the field, but even if you don't, there are still opportunities in sales, marketing, business development and communications. Once you're familiar with cryptocurrencies and their functions, evaluate your skill set and determine what kind of job you want.

For example, if you have programming or software development skills, you might pursue machine learning or blockchain development positions. Individuals with a background in writing may pursue a career as a technical writer or crypto marketer. People with business experience may prefer to become a product, project or marketing manager.

Network with industry experts

Spend some time networking with people in the crypto industry to learn more about it and the different roles that are available. You can use professional networking sites, internet forums or career fairs and conferences to meet people in the roles you're interested in and develop your network. Finding a mentor and having a network of people to advise you can be helpful when beginning your career in this broad industry.

Update your resume and cover letter

Before applying for jobs, spend some time updating your resume and cover letter to show employers in the crypto industry that you possess the skills they need. Include any new experiences or skills you've gained, such as the programming languages you know. Review your resume and cover letter to ensure that they accurately detail your cryptocurrency and blockchain technology knowledge and illustrate your passion for the industry.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.